Model 3 goes the distance

This story first appeared in the October issue of EvTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

At least 400 of you now have your Model 3s and you really are lucky.

EVtalk got to spend 1000km with the car just as deliveries began to trickle out of showrooms, and in most ways it does live up to the hype.

This was a second chance for us.We had already taken the car for a busy 45 minute run.

This time we were to have it for four days on relatively short notice, and with a mission to Ohakune already planned for that weekend we figured why not take the Tesla.

We left Tesla Auckland with just a few kilometres on the clock, and headed home to load up.

The boot opening of the Model 3 is relatively small, but the boot fantastic.

The huge amount of underfloor storage allows you to prank your mate, as I did, asking where his bag had gone.

Bags in, jacket in, food in, electric chainsaw in – and on our way.

Though we were not going anywhere fast.

The slow-moving carpark that is the Southern Motorway held up progress, although provided a great opportunity to test out the AutoPilot system.

In slow traffic like this it is near perfect, and under 15km/h rarely asks for input.

Once motorway traffic sped up it continued to show its skills, though don’t forget it doesn’t have quite the ability here as you may see on videos from the United States and other markets.

Slip on to typical one lane each way kiwi highways and it is one of the better versions of adaptive cruise control with lane keeping out there, but is no means close to self-driving.

It still gets tricked by our patchy road markings and our rather average drivers.
Full self-driving preparation adds $8000 to the price.

The Performance we are driving has a sticker price of $101,100.

All models are pretty well specified, the Standard Range Plus gets 12-way power adjustable heated front seats, premium seat material and trim, upgraded audio, standard maps and navigation, LED fog lamps, centre console with storage, four USB ports and docking for two smartphones.

The Long Range and Performance get the premium interior package, satellite-view maps with live traffic visualisation and navigation, premium audio with 14 speakers, in-car internet streaming music and media, internet browser, location-aware automatic garage door opener.

The Model 3 is very nice to drive on a long road trip, the steering is light and easy, the ride comfortable and of course the performance impressive.

To be fair, it does not have the sharpness or feel of say a BMW 330i, but the gap as not as big between the 3 and 330i as say the S and the 5-series.

The Tesla lacks a little crispness and feel in the steering, and does feel a smidge heavy in corners, but it is pretty darn good.

Then of course there is the performance.

Even with three and luggage on board it remains an overtaking weapon.

I am not sure we were at risk of achieving the 0-100km sprint in the claimed 3.4 seconds, but it is pretty darn good.

The easy access to power at any speed – the petrol equivalent of having great midrange is intoxicating.

Still, like my first drive, I do wish Tesla would work to make their modes more adaptable, as Audi has done with the e-tron.

Sport still comes with a slightly over-responsive throttle pedal.

We got more used to it, and it was less noticeable out of the city, but it is still there.

The interior is dominated by the large central screen that controls most of the vehicle’s functions – the only other significant controls are the steering wheel and the combination button/scroll wheels on it.

The dash feels low, and the vents – controlled from the screen – run almost full length across it.

The slimmed down design helps the car feel very spacious and it also feels of higher build quality than an S – Tesla seems to have avoided points where soft finishes meet curved edges – it all feels tighter and cleaner.

Our only quality concerns are the piano-black trim on the centre console, which marks very easily, and the boot trim, which was coming away from the edge of the opening on pickup.

Many have complained about the automatic windscreen wipers.

Like the rest of the controls, you get used to the on/off and sensitivity being set on the screen, and compared to most other automatic systems, they are not so bad.

If we had to pick our favourite part of the interior it has to be the front seats.

They look simple, but few brands, maybe only Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, have seats that are so comfortable for Kiwi-sized drivers over long distance.

We suffered little stiffness or fatigue, and want a set to have at home.

Charging on With traffic, weekend competition for charging spots, and not leaving with a full battery into account, we charged where we could, rather than pushing for outright range.

Having said that, the Model 3 always felt like we could easily get into the mid-300km range on a charge.

Amusingly while heading down Mount Ruapehu it suggested we could go 999km.

Our first charging pitstop was Te Kuiti, where we discovered a wee mismatch between the Tesla and the ChargeNet Veefil – the outlet is on the opposite side to the cable.

Here, this just means overlapping the car into the loading zone adjacent, and for most others it will just require backing into the left-hand carpark.Something to be aware of.Reverse parking is also the only option for most DC chargers for the 3.

The next morning we dropped the car off for a top-up at ChargeNet unit in Ohakune.
The cable is not so much of a stretch here.

On both Chargenet units we saw around 42-44kW of peak charge, not the 50kW promised, but not unexpected and still fine for a top-up.

While at the top of the mountain we sipped from the 11kW Tesla units kindly provided by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.

This again required a reverse approach, with the four wheel-drive and traction systems clicking away as the car shuffled itself up on to icy snow.

The return trip required a near full charge at the Taupo Supercharger.

Our charging numbers cracked an impressive 120kW, adding hundreds of kilometres per hour – it is an impressive site to see.

The new CCC2 cables on the units work exactly the same way as the standard ones, no learning curve required.

We did charge one more time on the way home, even though we didn’t need too.

It was at Cambridge, it was dinner time, and the Chargenet site is too close to KFC to ignore.
Don’t judge us!The full package So after 1000km are we still convinced the Model 3 lives up to the hype? Oh yes.

It drives well, it looks great, it is comfortable, it is practical.

There is little not too like about this car as long as you get used to its unusual format, and of course you can work through the build quality niggles a few have found.

We hear the Tesla Auckland staff have been great and more than willing to deal with this kind of thing.

It may lack a little of the precision in driving of its European ICE competitors, but in so many ways offers much, much more.